Apparatus for marking pavements and the like



March 28, 1944. v, s 2,345,076

APPARATUS FOR MARKING PAVEMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed March 22, 1941 ATTORN Y Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MARKING PAVEMENTS AND THE LIKE Audley V. Spencer, Jefferson City, Mo.

Application March 22, 1941, Serial No. 384,684

5 Claims.

more, the paint must be of special composition,

since it must stand heavy trafiic and exposure to the weather. The paint, therefore, is expensive.

In order to save expense in the matter of paint, it has become the practice to mark center lines with-a broken stripe. A broken stripe will serve the purpose to make the respective sides of the highway and a considerable quantity of paint is thus saved. On. hills and curves an unbroken stripe is stil1 used, in most cases.

The operation of painting stripes on highways is usually conducted from a vehicle bearing a supply of paint and spraying me ns. When a broken stripe is to be painted, an operator must start and stop the supply of paint. This isa tedious operation.

One object of my invention is to provide an automatic means for painting broken stripes or center lines on highways.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic means in which the type of broken line can be accurately predetermined and automatically performed.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a vehicle equipped with one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement and electrical connections embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a development of the commutator used in my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the vehicle body I, which may be of any suitable type, carries a compressor driven by a V-belt 3 from any suitable powered shaft 4. The compressor transfers compressed air through pipe 5 to a paint container 8. A paint supply pipe I is adapted to convey the paint under pressure imposed by the compressed air to a dovetail spray B to deposit passes through a pivoted guide member 28.

the paint'on' pavement in the form of a stripe 9. The pipe '1 is controlled-by a valve l0 which is operated through a valve stem H. The valve stein is actuated by a lever I 3 through a pair of electromagnets' l4 and [5, controlled by a rotary controller [2 within the housing H5. The rotary controller I2 is driven through a gear I! and a pinion 18. 'Ihe pinion I8 is actuated from a firth wheel l9 through a flexible shaft 20. It will be seen that the rotation of the controller I2 is a function of the distance traveled by the vehicle since the fifth wheel l9 contacts the ground and is carried by the vehicle. The electromag-nets i4 and liiare hous'e'd'within a casing 2| and secured tothe vehicle by bolts-22 The lever l3 is pivoted to the housing 2| at 23. It is pivoted to armature 24 arr-5. The armature 24 is'actuated by electrc-inagnets l4 and IS. The rod 2-6 is pivoted to the end of lever l'3at 21. The end of the rod A spring 29 is compressed-around the rod 26 as can readily be seen by reference to Figure 2. The arrangement is such that'the 'rod 26 and the lever F3 form'a'togg-le mechanism. When the end of the lever which is connected to the armature 24 passes dea'd'center, the spring 26 throws it the remainder of the way and holds it in a given position. In the position'shown in full lines in the drawing, the valve is shown in open position, thrown to'this position by energization of "the electromagnet l5.

A switch armed is adapted to make contact with contact points 3i, 32, and 33. Contact points 36 and 35 are rest positions. The electromagnets are energized from any suitable source as from astorafge battery 36. One side of the storage battery is grounded at 3?. The switch arm Bil is grounded at '38 through conductor 39. In the position shown'in Figure 2, current flows from the battery through conductor '40, through conductor 4!. through the winding of electromagnet l5, through conductor 42, through conductor (*3. through switch arm 3?) to ground, thus completing the circuit. Contact point 33 is the contact point for manualoperation foropening the valve lilto permit the paint to be sprayed.

'VVhen the switch '3!) is moved to contact contact point current will "flowfr'om the battery thrrrsgh conductor All. through conductor it the winding of electromagn'et it. through con ct-or 4 through conductor it to contact -point at. thence through contact arm tilthrough conductor 39 to ground and thence to the other side of the battery 'throughground 31. thus energizing the 'e-lectromagnet 14 and causing the armature 24 to travel to the left as shown in Figure 2, moving the valve stem I I to cause the valve to move to closed position.

When it is desired to operate the paint spraying device automatically, the switch arm 36 is brought into contact with contact point 32. The controller l2 comprises an. insulating material having conducting bands 41 and 48. A brush 49 makes electrical contact with the band 41. A brush 50 makes electrical contact with the band 48. Conductor makes electrical contact with the brush 49, while conductor 52 makes electrical contact with brush 50. is slidable along a mounting rod 54. A plurality of conducting contact points, indicated generally in Figure 2 by the reference numeral 55 are adapted to make contact with the brush 53. Figure 3 is a development of the electrical connections with the controller l2. The series of contact points 56, 57, 58 and 59 are connected by conductor 66 to the conducting strip 41. The contact points BI, 62 and 63 are connected to the conducting strip 48 by conductor 64. Contact points 65 and 66 are connected by conductor 61 to conducting strip 41. Contact points 68, 69 and F6 are connected by conductor H to the conducting strip 48.

In the position shown in Figure 2, the adjustable brush 53 is in contact with contact point 56. The brush 53 is connected by conductor 12 to the contact point 32. When switch arm 30 makes contact with contact point 32, current will flow from the battery through conductor 46, through conductor 41, through the winding of electromagnet l5, through conductor 42, through conductor 5!, through brush 49, through conducting strip 41, through conductor 60, through contact point 56, through brush 53, through conductor l2 to contact point 32, through switch arm 30, through conductor 39 to ground 38, thence to ground 31, back to the other side of the battery 36. This will energize the winding l5 and move the parts to the position shown in Figure 2, permitting paint to spray. The rotation of the controller l2 will bring contact point 61 into contact with the brush 53, due to movement of the vehicle along the ground through the agency of the fifth wheel IS, the flexible shaft 26, the pinion I8 and the gears I'I.

When the brush 53 makes contact with the contact point 6|, current will flow from the battery 36 through the conductor 40, through the conductor 44, through the winding I4, through the conductor 45, through the conductor 52, through brush 5!], through conducting strip 48, through conductor 64 to contact point 6|, through brush 53, through conductor 12 to contact point 32, through switch arm 36, through conductor 39 to ground 33, thence to ground 31, back to the other side of the battery 36. This will energize the electromagnet l4 and move the valve to closed position, the parts being in the dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

In the arrangement shown, the parts are calibrated so that contact points 56 and 6| will band a marking line feet long, with 26 foot unbanded intervals. In other words, the sequence is; paint 10 feet, space 26 feet, paint 10 feet, space 26 feet, etc. When the brush is moved so that contact points 51, 62, 65, and 68 are employed, the arrangement is such that my invention will operate to paint 5 feet, space 13 feet, paint 5 feet, space 3 feet, etc. With the contact points 58, 63, 66 and 69 in use, my device will operate to paint 4 feet, space 14 feet, paint 4 feet, space 14 feet,

An adjustable brush 53- etc. With contact points 59 and 10 brought into operation by sliding the movable brush 53 to the right as viewed in Figure 2, my device will paint 18 feet, space 18 feet, paint 18 feet, space 18 feet, etc. It is to be understood, of course, that the distances just given are by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that this will depend upon the diameter of the controller 12, the gear ratio between pinion I8 and gear I! and the diameter of the fifth wheel [9. My device is very flexible and any arrangement of painting and spacing may be employed.

In using my device, accurate spacing is obtained and broken lines may be employed for straight portions of the highway with a saving of large quantities of paint, without in any way detracting from the efficiency of the center strip marking on the highway. If, for any reason, it is desired to have a continuous line such as is customary to employ at curves and over hills, the operator need only move the switch arm 36 from the contact point 32 past contact point 33 to the rest position 35. In doing this, a continuous line may be used for painting. In a like manner, when it is desired to place the device in an inoperative condition with valve 1 0 closed and the solenoids unenergized, the switch 39 is moved past contact point 3| to rest point 34. Due to my automatic timing device, the parts may be synchronized in starting to repaint a highway, and the center line broken strip may be repainted at exactly the same places, with precisely the same spacings as theretofore existed.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided apparatus for marking or painting lines on highways, playgrounds, streets and the like in which broken strips may be automatically painted. The type of broken line can be accurately predetermined and the painting automatically performed in so far as painting and spacing are concerned.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed Without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for marking lines on pavements, including in combination a vehicle adapted to be moved along the pavement to be marked, a supply of paint, means for spraying paint upon the pavement to be marked, a valve for controlling the supply of paint to said spraying means, a le ver for controlling said valve, an armature con nected to said lever, a pair of electromagnets for alternately actuating said armature, a beyonddead-center spring for holding said lever in .valve opening and Valve closing position, a source of potential, electrical circuits for alternately energizing said electromagnets, said electrical circuits including a rotary controller and an adjustable brush, means for rotating said controller as a function of the movement of said vehicle, and means for adjusting said brush.

2. A device for marking lines on pavements, including in combination a vehicle adapted to be moved along the pavement to be marked, a supply of paint, means for spraying paint upon the pavement to be marked, a valve for controlling the supply of paint to said spraying means, a lever for controlling said valve, an armature connected to said lever, a pair of electromagnets for alternately actuating said armature, a source of potential, electrical circuits for alternately energizing said electromagnets, said electrical circuits including a rotary controller and an adjustable brush, means for rotating said controller as a function of the movement of said vehicle, and means for adjusting said brush.

3. A device for marking lines on pavements, comprising a vehicle, a valve controlled paint spraying mechanism carried by the vehicle, electromagnetic means coactive with said spraying mechanism to open or close the control valve, a source of electric current, an electric circuit connecting the electromagnetic means and the current source, the electric circuit including a rotary controller and an adjustable brush, and means for rotating said controller as a function of the movement of said vehicle.

4. A device for marking lines on pavements, comprising a vehicle, a valve controlled paint spraying mechanism carried by the vehicle, electromagnetic means coactive with said spraying mechanism to open or close the control valve, a source of electric current, an electric circuit connecting the electromagnetic means to the current source, the electric circuit including a rotary controller and an adjustable brush, the controller having a plurality of series of contact points and said brush being movable to engage a selected series of points, and means for rotating said controller.

5. A device for marking lines on pavements, comprising a vehicle, a valve controlled paint spraying mechanism carried by the vehicle, electromagnetic' means coactive with said spraying mechanism to open or close the control valve, a source of electric current, an electric circuit connecting the electromagnetic means to the current source, the electric circuit including a rotary controller and an adjustable brush, the controller having a plurality of series of contact points and 20 said brush being movable to engage a selected series of points, and means for rotating said controller as a function of the movement of the vehicle.

AUDLEY V. SPENCER. 

